IGAS opens investigation into the case of the pregnant woman who gave birth on the street

The General Inspectorate of Health Activities (IGAS) will open an investigation into the case of the pregnant woman who gave birth this Monday morning on a street in Carregado , in the municipality of Alenquer. The Minister of Health herself asked IGAS to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The Minister of Health requested the General Inspectorate of Health Activities to open an inquiry process” to “investigate the facts relating to the assistance provided by the SNS 24 Line and the Urgent Patient Guidance Center (CODU), at the time of the incident, as well as the assistance provided by the Tagus Estuary Local Health Unit to the pregnant woman”, said Ana Paula Martins’ office, in a response sent to Observador.

Contacted by Observador, the Inspector General of Health, Carlos Carapeto, confirmed that he received the request from the Ministry and has already ordered the opening of an investigation .

A pregnant woman has a baby on the street in Carregado. She called the SNS24 hotline to ask for an ambulance and was told it was best to drive.

In addition to the investigation opened by IGAS, the Ministry of Health's Shared Services (SPMS) also opened an "internal investigation." "Following an article published in today's edition of Correio da Manhã about a birth in Carregado, it is reported that the SPMS has opened an internal investigation to determine what happened ," reads the response sent to Observador. It should be noted that the SPMS is responsible for managing the SNS24 hotline, which, according to the family, advised the pregnant woman that it would be better to travel to the hospital by herself (rather than wait for an ambulance).

Then, according to the same newspaper, the pregnant woman's mother, Isabel Moreira, tried unsuccessfully to call 112, which reportedly took a long time to answer. The National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM) told Observador that the 112 Center forwarded the distress call, which was answered by the CODU at 10:29. However, INEM did not specify how long it took for the call to be answered.

"During the triage of the situation, it was determined that the birth had already occurred," emphasizes INEM. The CODU dispatched an ambulance from the Alenquer Volunteer Fire Department at 10:33 AM, and the Emergency Medical and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER) from Torres Vedras at 10:37 AM, as the VMER from Vila Franca de Xira was engaged in another incident. According to INEM, the mother and baby were transported to Santarém Hospital, accompanied by the doctor from the Emergency Medical and Resuscitation Vehicle.